Moulton native returns as school superintendent

MOULTON - When the school bells ring Monday in Moulton, Chad Rothbauer's journey back home will be complete.

After four years as principal at Yoakum Intermediate School, Rothbauer, 30, is the new superintendent of schools in his home town of Moulton.

"I loved working with Tom Kelley in Yoakum. He taught me a lot. He and Chris Kvinta and the teachers were great to work with. It was a great experience. I can't say enough good things about Yoakum," Rothbauer said.

"But I'm excited to be in Moulton," he said. "I hope it works out and I am here for a long time."

Kelley is Yoakum's superintendent and Kvinta is the assistant superintendent.

Ranging reporter Sonny Long caught up with Rothbauer in his office on the last Friday before the start of school.

Q: What attracted you to this position? Of course, part of that is obvious.

A: I'm from here, so I am familiar with the area. It's a good school district. It's got a great tradition of academics and UIL success. Of course, basketball is king here. I wasn't looking to leave Yoakum, but when this position came open, I had to throw my name in the hat. If nothing else, I wanted to get an interview to get the experience. It's home to me. I know a lot of people here.

Q: What is the biggest change, stepping into the superintendent's role?

A: Learning the administrative part of the position - the paperwork. As a principal, you deal more with the staff and kids. At this level, you deal with the state and the community.

Q: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the school district?

A: Financial, of course. Everybody is experiencing budget cuts, but we're going to have a balanced budget. Our challenge right now is to find out as much as we can about the STARR (The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) test and adjusting accordingly to make sure we are staying competitive. One more thing is enrollment. We are a small district, so enrollment is crucial. Without kids, we don't have jobs. Our high school numbers are down a little, but our elementary numbers are up.

Q: Have you set goals for the district?

A: I want us to do well in UIL. I want us to do well in academics. I want us to do well in athletics. That's my main goal to have competitive academics, athletics and extra-curricular programs in this district. To me, that's what keeps kids interested in school.

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MEET CHAD ROTHBAUER

JOB: Superintendent Moulton school district

AGE: 30

FAMILY: Wife, Angela, a second grade teacher in Gonzales; 2-year-old daughter Brooke; second child due in January